how often should you top up oil?

top up your oil in your sv650 and how much do you top it up with?

i do a full oil change, go for about 2k and am on the min marker... so i top it up again to full

is that good? bad? or ugly?

the bike was brand new jan this year.....

using semi 10/40

Some bikes use oil, some don't. I wouldn't be concerned at all about having to top up once between services. Don't let it get to the min mark though, top it up every 1k instead when it drops down to the half full point.

[Jayneflakes]

I must be lucky, the oil level in mine barely drops. I have to top her up after about six months and only by a small amount. She gets checked every week though, along with chain tension and other wobbly bits.

I change my oil every 2500 miles (Filter every 5000) and it never drops off full.

[andrewsmith]

Suzuki say 1 litre every 1,000 miles for all their bikes.

Mines used about 100ml at most in 1,300 miles (and it lost against an embankment in that time).
Mine gets checked with every chain check cold or chain oil if the adjustment was hot.

The newer engines with coated barrels (in general) use more after about 15k.

well im on about 5k at the moment, only have to top it up once between services really...

i just remember my yamaha drinking oil like it was fuel! and thought newer engine means no oil usage...

always good to check with other sv'rs

what oil do ya use?

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

The newer engines with coated barrels (in general) use more after about 15k.

OK, that explains my SV. Used nothing when new but between 15-20k it started to use oil at a rate similar to what the OP is describing.

Originally Posted by nikon70

i just remember my yamaha drinking oil like it was fuel! and thought newer engine means no oil usage...

What Yamaha? My XT600 used about a litre during a 3000 mile trip this summer, but big singles do that, especially on long motorway runs with sustained high revs.

[andrewsmith]

Mines running Elf 10/40 semi (hard to get hold of) atm.
Mines run most brands of oils with no issues. Shell seemed to be the worst, HG is good, Putoline and Elf are expensive and very work well

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

OK, that explains my SV. Used nothing when new but between 15-20k it started to use oil at a rate similar to what the OP is describing.

For the record my useage is going up now aswel (slightly) at 16k.
The niklacel coatings (apologies if my spelling is dire) used in most modern engines don't run in as such (the SV's are steel liners which do run in and use more oil as the bore loosens up)